"Dear World," a letter at her blog starts, "It is infinitely strange to write those words, especially considering the personal nature of the topic, which is the purpose of my writing today. But the truth is I have lived my life in the public eye since I was nineteen. And while it is intimidating to live a life in the public, it has also been a privilege to make a living with my words, my thoughts, my feelings."

"Ty and I have always tried to live the most authentic life possible, and we wanted our separation as husband and wife to be nothing less loving than the way we came together," the country singer explains. "For some time we have been engaged in a private and difficult, but thoughtful and tender undoing of ourselves. Allowing ourselves the time and space to redefine what we are to each other with love rather than malice."

Jewel and Murray married in the Bahamas in 2008. They have one child, almost 3-year-old Kase Townes, together.

In her blog entry, Jewel explains why she decided to announce the news on her personal site. "I share all this with you because I wanted you to hear it from us, instead of the tabloids," she writes. "I also share it because I have learned in these 20 years of living my life honestly in front of you, to trust that you will all honor and have reverence for how difficult this journey is, and allow us our process as we not only grieve the loss of our marriage, but also as we recreate ourselves in the ashes -- for from all death we trust a phoenix rises."

She also reveals that she and Murray are still planning on raising Kase together.

"Our dedication to our son is unwavering and we are both committed to being the best partners in raising our son," she says. "Due to the spirit in which we have gone about this separation, we trust we can remain dear friends who hold each other in high esteem, which is so important to us as parents- as we wish only what is best for our son.”